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Monthly Archives: August 2015

If you rely too heavily on social media for your information, you are liable to believe that Germany now gets half of its energy from solar panels. The reality of course is that Germany gets nowhere near to half of its energy or electricity needs from solar panels. Far from it.

Last year, 5.7% of Germany’s electricity generation and 2.5% of primary energy consumption came from solar panels (BP Statistical Review of World Energy). The contribution solar panels make towards Germany’s renewable energy target (which uses the final energy consumption metric) is even lower. Less than 1.5% of German final energy consumption now comes from solar panels according to Eurostat.

Like this:

Given the effective demise of the Green Deal, the upcoming Bonfield Review of energy efficiency schemes and the Chancellor’s call for Ministers to present plans for 40 per cent cuts ahead of the spending review, what can we expect by way of energy efficiency funding?

It is early days so any answer to that question is pure speculation for the time being. However, the following facts provide useful clues.

Firstly, the Conservative Party manifesto made a clear commitment to improve the energy efficiency of one million homes over the next five years. Whilst there was no mention of this in the Queen’s Speech this pledge has been referred to a number of times in recent weeks. It is not a particularly ambitious target, representing improvements to an average of only 200,000 homes each year through to 2020. If we assume an average carbon score of 22 tonnes – the lifetime carbon dioxide…